The Doctor is In @ drwalt@petcareinsurance.com
It is with great pleasure that I endeavour to answer pet-related questions that Canadian Living Online visitors may have. I use the term "endeavour" for two reasons.
First, there has been such a fabulous response to our "Ask a Vet" feature that I simply will not be able to answer everyone's questions. I will, however, address common question themes to provide the greatest assistance to the many queries posed.
Second, I want to ensure you the reader realize that there are very real limitations to providing specific answers to many of the questions you may raise. Like any health care profession and for the vast majority of health ailments, "hands-on" investigation is still the best route to follow before any treatment is contemplated. So please, don't wait or rely solely on my answer but instead, call your own veterinarian who truly is the best person to provide the individual care your pet needs -- especially for problems that are acute and appear serious.
Dear Dr. Walt: I have a Doberman and he thought he would visit with a skunk the other night. I know there is a solution of baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, dish soap, and water. Do you know the amounts? I bathed him in tomato juice and went to the vet and got a product called Skunk Off but found that I couldn't get rid of the smell completely. He got sprayed in the face and it's hard to get rid of.
Ah, the joys of dog ownership! I can truly commiserate with you as I recently had a similar experience yet, having two dogs, I also had double the odour trouble. In a frantic effort to try and eliminate the odour, and without tomato juice in the house, I used the next best thing -- clamato juice!
Many recipes exist for trying to eliminate this most unpleasant of odours including tomato juice, vanilla extract (mixed with water and used as a rinse), feminine douches (especially the vinegar and water-based, over-the-counter preparations mixed with 4 liters of water and used as a rinse), and products that you can purchase through your veterinarian. However, the number of solutions available demonstrate that there is no perfect approach that will be sure to fix the problem. The odour seems to recur whenever your pet gets damp. That being said, the baking soda-based solution you have asked about is receiving rave reviews as a very effective product. The recipe is as follows:
65 mL (1/4 cup) Baking soda
1 L (1 quart) hydrogen peroxide
5 mL (1 tsp) liquid soap
Mix the ingredients together, work into your pet's coat, and rinse off.
Some other pointers should your pet get "skunked:"
1. Bathe your dog thoroughly with a regular dog shampoo first.
2. Try and avoid getting any product used in your pet's eyes. Bathe this area carefully and cover the eyes with your hand when you rinse.
3. Never wear your best clothes to do the bathing, wear rubber gloves, and avoid, if possible, bathing your pet in the house -- believe me when I tell you that this smell is hard to eliminate from anything it comes in contact with!
4. Ensure that you yard isn't attracting skunks with easy access to garbage.
5. Ensure you have your pets current on their rabies vaccine.
Best of luck! I'd love to hear from any readers who have the chance to use the above recipe and can provide a rating as to its effectiveness. Just write to "Ask Dr. Walt" at drwalt@petcareinsurance.com.
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